System of protection from lightning



-(No Model.)

C.l F. HILL. SYSTEM 0F PROTECTION PROM LIGHTNING.

Patented-July 23 NA PETERS. Pmlwumagnpmr, wamlngmn, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES F. HILL, OF HAZLE'ION, PENNSYLVANIA.

SYSTEM OAF PROTECTION FR'ONI LIGHTNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,660, dated July 23,1889.

Application tiled November 16, 1888. Serial No. 291,024. (No model.)

To all whom t 71mg/ con/ocra:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. I-I1LL,a citizen of the United States,residing at Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s inSystem for Protecting Receivers ot In fiamm able Substances troniLightning; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description ot' the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. v

My invention relates to systems 'for protecting receivers ot inflammableor explosive substances from light-ning; and it consists of the novelcombination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

Vrlhe object of my invention is to protect oil-tanks and receivers'otinflammable sub stances from the danger of being struck by lightning, towhich they are peculiarly subjeeted, owing to the surrounding atmospherewithin a number of 'feet of the tank being saturated with theinflammable vapors which escape from the tank, and which surroundingatmospheric belt is peculiarly subject to ignition or explosion by thepassage through it of the electric spark or ot a stroke of lightningfrom a storm-cloud.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing mysystem applied to an oil-tank. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof, showingthe tubular poles in crosssection. Figs. 3, 4., and 5 are detail views.

Referring to the drawings, in which 'like letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the iigures,Adesignates a cordon of verticaltubular metallic poles, which are located at suitable intervals aroundan oiltank B, of any suitable well-known construction, it beingunderstood that the invention is applicable to receivers of all kinds ofexplosive or inammable materials, liquid, solid, or gaseous, suchl aspowder magazines and mills, oil-tanks, or derricks, and other structuresfor storage of such substances. This cordon of surrounding tubular polesis located some distance from the tank or other structure, outside ofthe surrounding atmospheric belt which is permeated with the inflammablevapors that escape from the tank,

and the poles extend some distance above the tank.

C designates a metallic conductor or yable which is extended upward fromthe ground through one ot the tubular metallic posts to the upperextremity thereot', and is then passed horizontallyacross and someldistance above the tank or other structure to the pole on the oppositeside ot' the tank, and then through said pole to the ground. C isanother metallic conductor or cable, which is likewise arranged acrossand some distance above the tank and then passed through two ot thetubular poles to the ground in the same manner as the conductor C. Theseconductors C C cross or lap cach other some distance above the middle otthe tank, and they are electrically connected together by soldering orotherwise, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) and the lower ends ot the conductors areextended through the lower extremities of the tubular poles and wrappedor coiled exteriorly around said poles, as indicated in Fig. l, tosecure a good eartlrconnection. A tinial D is fixed in the upper end ofeach ot' the tubular metallic poles, and to the tinials are connectedthe conductors or cables.

Each of the tubular poles is made of a number of sections, preferably ofgalvanized gas-pipe, which sect-ions are suitably coupled together bythe ordinary couplings d, (see Fig. 4,) and the lower' section o'f eachpole, which is inserted in the ground, and around which the conductor orcable is coiled, is made of greater diameter and provided with lateralperforations. A

To effect the moisteni ng of the earth around the base of the poles, andthus secure a goed earth-connection of the conductors or cables, whichwill enable them to conduct and discharge electricity to betteradvantage,l have provided each of the tubular poles with a scries ofwater-collecting vessels F, F', and F2. (Shown more clearly in Fig. Thevessels communicate by suitable openings f, made in the tubular post,with the interior space or chamber ot the post, and they are therebyenabled to discharge the moisture, dew, or rain collected therein intothe post, from which the water escapes through the open lower end andthe lateral perforations to meisten the surrounding earth in which theIOO pole is embedded. No novelty, however, is herein claimed for thewater-eollecting vessels, as the same form in part the subj ect-matt ero'ii' a p rior patent, No. 301,520, granted to me April 19,1887.

I also contemplate the employment oli' another cable or conductor G,which passes horizontally from one pole to another olf the cordon ofsurrounding poles and is connected with the conductors C (J, thisconductor (l being located outside of; the vertical planc ot' the tankand in the same horizontal plane as the conductors (l C. (See Fig. 5.)

To further divert and neutralize a stroke of lightning, and thus in agreater measure aliord protection to the tank or other structure, Iprovide a metallic net ll, which is arranged some distance above thetank, immediately over the same. This net is made of a series ofmetallic wires, which are woven intimately together andthe edges thereofbound or secured in a substantial. manner, and. thel net is secured toand supported by the se ries et conductors or cables C l G, as shown inIligsxl and 2. This horizontal. net is of greater area than the diameterof the tank, so that the latter is located completely within the edgesof: the net, and, if desired, the net may be connected to the tubularpoles, so as to be further strengthened and relieve the cables orcomluctors from undue strain.

,lt will be observed that the surroumling cordon ol' poles, the severalcoinluctors or eables, and the metallic net supported by the latter arelocated at some distance :from and above the tank and are completelyisolated therefrom, whereby an electric discharge Vfrom a storm-clouddirected toward the tank or other structure will be completely taken upby the metallic net and the eomluetors and carried or discharged intothe earth without injury to the tank.

Having thus fully described 'my invention, what I claim. as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A system for protecting receivers of inflammable or explosivesubstances from lightning, consisting ol. a cordon oli' poles locatedsome distance from the structure and having,r their upper' ends extendedabove said strnelure, a metallic net suspended horizontally above thestructure by the poles, and conductors connected to said netand embeddedat their lower extremities in the earth, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

A syst-em for protecting .receivfiers of inflammable or explosivesubstances from lightning, consisting olf a cordon of tubular metallicpoles located some distance from the structure, a series of eomluctorsarrangml horizontally some distance above the tank and passing'longitudinally through the poles from end to end tl .reol and having.;ltheir lower ends coiled exteriorly around the Vlower embedded ends olsaid poles, and a metallic net connected to and. supported by thehorizontal portions of the coiulnctors, said net heilig' located somedistance above and entirely isolated. l'rom the strl'leture to beprotected7 substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof. lallix my signature in presence ol two witnesses.

CHARLES I HILL. Witnesses:

.TA n as E. llo nn me K, lnnin? V. lVnAvm-z.

